Letters from readers: Don't jump to conclusions on Boston bombers

Thursday

Apr 25, 2013 at 5:00 PM

A recent lead letter misses the mark when the writer states "… members of the mainstream press have continued their pattern of refusing to acknowledge the blatantly obvious, namely that the attack was motivated by political Islam."

In my view, the role of the news media is to report the facts during the investigation of events like the Boston Marathon bombing, and not speculate on the motive. Press speculation belongs on the opinion pages.

Blaming "radical" or "political" Islam is an easy way out. The Tsarnaev brothers were Muslim; they didn't understand Americans; case closed. They were Muslim terrorists.

The facts are the Mujahedeen of the Caucasus Emirate denied providing any assistance to Tamerlan Tsarnaev when he traveled to Russia in 2012 and stated that "we are not at war with the U.S."

Once the motive becomes factual, then like all other facts, it should be reported. At this writing, the motive for the bombing is still under investigation.

Recently it was suggested that the motive may have been the denial of U.S. citizenship to Tamerlan, which ended his chances to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic boxing team.

It has also been suggested that the brothers were U.S. spies who were "doubled back" against us. And today it has been proffered that Tamerlan was radicalized by Internet sites.

Let's congratulate the press for reporting facts that may include other speculations and let the FBI investigation tell the true story.

George M. Alznauer, retired FBI,

Fernandina Beach

FERAL CATS

Bad programThe city animal control, at the insistence of animal activists, has a policy of spaying and neutering stray cats and returning them to the area they were brought from.

While on paper this sounds good, it has created more problems than it solved. The ones in our area are riddled with fleas and ticks plus other diseases. These can be transferred to the other pets.

They sit under the bird feeders and cause havoc with the birds. Some starve to death.

It doesn't appear that a lot of intelligent thought went into this program. Maybe it should be reviewed. It is a horrible death to die of heart worms or starvation.

Tom Horrell,

Jacksonville

SECOND AMENDMENT

Can't be infringedAn editorial referred to the senators who voted against the proposed gun control as cowards who were only wanting to get re-elected. But put your emotions aside and look at what these laws will end up doing to the law-abiding citizens.

The criminal element has no intention of abiding by any laws, much less illegal gun laws. The senators who supported gun control, which included Florida's senior senator, Bill Nelson, have violated their oaths of office.

They have sworn "to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

They should be removed from office and their lifetime pensions and medical benefits taken away. Their oath does not include selecting the parts of the Constitution that they like or believe in. The real heros are those Democrats who sided with the Republicans and defeated the proposal.

We're not supposed to judge all Muslims by the acts of a few "crazies."

But the acts of a few American "crazies" is enough to judge all Americans who own guns.

Cortlandt Rosebro,

Orange Park

CONSERVATIVES

Winning the battlesCitizens do not apparently have any significant control over government or the stock market or the economy!

Prices are going up every day, investors are going crazy with fear that the bull market is another bubble, our houses are worth less than we owe on them and jobs and higher wages are only a glimmer.

Did we lose this control or did we give it away? Or were we duped? The very conservative right seems to be making some headway in getting their message turned into action. Perhaps that is the answer - activism, tenacity, willingness to fight.

Pat Evert,

Jacksonville

NEW FSCJ PRESIDENT

Look for integrityI see Florida State College at Jacksonville is beginning its search for a new president. The Times-Union says the current leader has indicated the "ideal person" for the job "has a lot of energy and can expand the college's role in Jacksonville."

Integrity should be the first requirement. The dictionary defines it as "the quality or state of being of sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty and sincerity."

Deborah Cearnal,

Orange Park

GUN CONTROL

Consider the impactNow Congress along with the NRA is being blamed for not passing new gun regulations.

Why not blame the president?

To keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill mass murderers, we will need a database of mentally ill and emotionally disturbed people who might harm others.

We would have to put all family members in the file to prevent them from buying guns that might be stolen from them.

I wonder how the ACLU, the president and others would react to this solution? I'm not in favor of it, but that is the real debate

I haven't fired a weapon since I was in the Marines. I don't own a weapon. My nephew was shot and accidentally killed by a young man who obtained a gun stolen from the unlocked car of a seasoned corrections officer.

No law will prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again. Get the emotion out of the debate and start addressing how we keep guns away from sick people.

Jim Knapp,

Ponte Vedra Beach

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Stay Connected

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Florida Times-Union ~ 1 Riverside Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32202 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service